THIRD YEAR design students are making preparations for their final year design show and exhibition – the first of its kind, which is set to be held in the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in June. The event, however, will not be entirely exclusive to final year students, as a decision has been taken to exhibit the work of some first and second year fashion students, too.

Principal Lecturer in fashion design, Ann Muirhead, said that both she and her students had high expectations, and remained optimistic that these will be fulfilled come June 4th. A dress rehearsal will take place that afternoon at 4pm with local schools, colleges and members of the general public being invited to attend before family, friends and VIP guests arrive for the actual 8pm viewing.

“We are hoping it will be great,” said Muirhead, “but right now you can’t see just how great because students are currently working with ideas, and the actual finished product won’t be made until the very last minute. We have interesting collections being prepared, the concepts are interesting, and we are expecting to show really good work.”

The show promises to receive extensive media exposure through local, national and specialist press, with a number of people prolific in the fashion world expected to attend. Representatives of those organisations students have secured work placement with will also be invited, and include Tatty Devine, Richard Nicoll and Alexander McQueen as well as ASDA’s very own in-house fashion label, ‘George’.

The Department of Design and Visual Arts, according to Muir, has been extremely encouraged by the approach adopted by many of her students, and how the work they have penned and subsequently crafted has led to prolific success.

We have interesting collections being prepared, the concepts are interesting, and we are expecting to show really good work

Last year, Kevin Geddes scooped the My-Wardrobe.Com’s inaugural Designer Incubator Project award. His work impressed a panel of judges comprising of individuals working on the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times newspapers, and Draper magazine. Since then, his line of clothing has been put on sale alongside the likes of Paul Smith, D&G, and ‘See’ by Chloe.

And to date, the ‘Red Collection’ has been the most recognisable of garments to have been designed by Coventry University’s fashion department, having featured in Elle fashion magazine, in Bulgaria for University recruitment purposes, and on recent promotional material for the Medievalbaebes.

Being the first ever show, it is hoped these experiences and expertise will bode its organisers well. “As this is the first time we are having a degree show, it is a huge responsibility for students, and we need to set a precedent. Doing so will hopefully allow future students to get involved,” added Angela Armstrong, a fashion design lecturer.

Advance tickets for the evening show will be available from the Art Shop in the Graham Sutherland building at a cost of £10 each. Muir also revealed that there is the possibility of giving some of the proceeds to a charity of the department’s choosing.